Zoochat Big Year 2024

KevinB said:
Saw a red fox crossing the road this morning.

Mammals
1) Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)
2) Red fox (Vulpes vulpes)

Birds
1) Canada goose (Branta canadensis)
2) Carrion crow (Corvus corone)
3) Common buzzard (Buteo buteo)
4) Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
5) Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
6) Grey heron (Ardea cinerea)
7) House sparrow (Passer domesticus)
8) Common wood pigeon (Columba palumbus)
9) Common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
10) European robin (Erithacus rubecula)
11) Great tit (Parus major)
12) Black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
13) European herring gull (Larus argentatus)
14) Eurasian magpie (Pica pica)
15) Great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
16) Western jackdaw (Coloeus monedula)
17) Eurasian kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
18) Feral pigeon (Columba livia)
19) Eurasian blackbird (Turdus merula)
20) Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
Click to expand...

Two more seen since my last post.

Mammals
1) Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)
2) Red fox (Vulpes vulpes)

Birds
1) Canada goose (Branta canadensis)
2) Carrion crow (Corvus corone)
3) Common buzzard (Buteo buteo)
4) Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
5) Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
6) Grey heron (Ardea cinerea)
7) House sparrow (Passer domesticus)
8) Common wood pigeon (Columba palumbus)
9) Common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
10) European robin (Erithacus rubecula)
11) Great tit (Parus major)
12) Black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
13) European herring gull (Larus argentatus)
14) Eurasian magpie (Pica pica)
15) Great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
16) Western jackdaw (Coloeus monedula)
17) Eurasian kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
18) Feral pigeon (Columba livia)
19) Eurasian blackbird (Turdus merula)
20) Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
21) Rook (Corvus frugilegus)
22) Common starling/European starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
 
Went to Birmingham, Alabama this weekend and unfortunately just barely missed the chance to spot some migrating salamanders crossing to their egg-laying pools - next few weeks look like they will be colder and drier so it may be a bit before I get the chance again. Still, did see the omnipresent feral pigeons of the city and realized I forgot a bird from South Carolina - a pair of fearless blue jays completely unbothered by the presence of a nearby Red-Tailed Hawk. This weekend I'll be going to Georgia to take part in a guided Great Backyard Bird Count survey where I'll hopefully pick up more species, and next week I'll be making regular visits to a nearby arboretum for the same reasons. Stay tuned!

Birds:
31. Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) – 2/04/24
32. Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) – 2/11/24
 
Still not much opportunity to get out, so everything is from around Moonlit. The plumed egret is a recent split of the intermediate egret (all the Australian birds), and this is the first time i have seen it here. It seems to be hanging around as I've seen it almost daily for a week. As this is the first time I have seen this species since the split I am claiming it as a new species.

Birds
65. Plumed egret Ardea plumifera
66. Wedge-tailed eagle Aquila audax
67. Galah Eolophus roseicapilla
68. Little wattlebird Anthochaera chrysoptera
69. Noisy miner Manorina melanocephala

Invertebrates
8. Green potato bug Cuspicona simplex
9. Honeybrown beetle Ecnolagria grandis
10. Black house spider Badumna insignis (new Family)
 
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I visited my local zoo on Wednesday and managed to snag some nice birds. Best part was watching an interesting interaction between a couple of crows and a changeable hawk eagle, as the crows appeared to be mobbing it. I also tried to spot the resident pair of spotted wood owls which reside in one of the trees in the zoo's Wild Africa exhibit. Even better was when I spotted a pair of Oriental pied hornbills flying over campus today :D.

Birds
20. Changeable hawk eagle, Nisaetus cirrhatus
21. Oriental magpie robin, Copsychus saularis
22. Oriental pied hornbill, Anthracoceros albirostris

Mammals
4. Plantain Squirrel, Callosciurus notatus
 
Pigeon said:
I visited my local zoo on Wednesday and managed to snag some nice birds. Best part was watching an interesting interaction between a couple of crows and a changeable hawk eagle, as the crows appeared to be mobbing it. I also tried to spot the resident pair of spotted wood owls which reside in one of the trees in the zoo's Wild Africa exhibit. Even better was when I spotted a pair of Oriental pied hornbills flying over campus today :D.

Birds
20. Changeable hawk eagle, Nisaetus cirrhatus
21. Oriental magpie robin, Copsychus saularis
22. Oriental pied hornbill, Anthracoceros albirostris

Mammals
4. Plantain Squirrel, Callosciurus notatus
Click to expand...
Small correction, I went to the zoo on Tuesday, not Wednesday.
 
A short stroll to my local patch was rather quiet until I stumbled upon a brilliant mixed feeding flock consisting of many goldcrests, great tits and crested tits, several coal tits and treecreepers, a nuthatch and no less than three woodpeckers, one which was my first lesser spotted woodpecker of the year.

Twitching a small vagrant songbird in a city park, a rather common thing for many Dutch birdwatchers, is not really my cup of thee. But fieldwork brought me to the city of Utrecht last week, and I knew I would literally be driving right past the tiny patch of greenery where a rare warbler was known to hang out. So I couldn't help myself and decided to take a quick look. It took mere minutes to see the tiny leaf warbler flitting through the trees. It was a good sighting of a good bird, but the whole thing was also a little boring so I left quite quickly. Fine to do in my coffee break, not something I would go out of my way for to do. I also saw two common exotics and my first song thrush of the year while in the city.

Birds
128. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Dryobates minor
129. Feral Dove, Columba livia
130. Rose-ringed Parakeet, Psittacula krameri
131. Song Thrush, Turdus philomelos
132. Hume's Leaf Warbler, Phylloscopus humei
 
Hix said:
Birds
38. Fan-tailed Cuckoo
39. Wonga Pigeon
40. Crimson Rosella
41. Superb Lyrebird
42. Variegated Fairy Wren
43. Eastern Spinebill
44. Yellow-faced Honeyeater
45. Little Wattlebird
46. Red Wattlebird
47. New Holland Honeyeater
48. White-eared Honeyeater
49. Noisy Friarbird
50. Eastern Whipbird
51. Grey Shrike-thrush
52. Golden Whistler
53. Rufous Whistler
54. Grey Fantail
55. Eastern yellow Robin
56. Beautiful Firetail Finch
57. Red-browed Finch

Mammals
1. Swamp Wallaby
2. European Rabbit
3. Grey-headed Flying Fox

:p

Hix
Click to expand...
A quick update before I head off on another little jaunt.

Birds
58. Grey Teal
59. Spotted Dove
60. Black-fronted Dotterel
61. Grey Goshawk
62. Dollarbird
63. Australian King Parrot
64. White-plumed Honeyeater
65. Spotted Pardalote
66. Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
67. Pied Currawong
68. Magpie-lark
69. Australian Raven
70. Red-whiskered Bulbul
71. Silvereye
72. Common Starling
73. House Sparrow
74. Little Eagle

Reptiles
1. Jacky Dragon

Invertebrates
1. Black Prince Cicada (Psaltoda plaga)

:p

Hix
 
KiwiBirb said:
After a quite successful trip to Sandy Hook yesterday I didn’t expect to find 4 more species today especially during a walk to the local Van Saun Park. This includes a Killdeer, which are quite rare this time of year and I spent about 5 minutes watching it before it flew away; and a Carolina Wren, which has haunted me the past few weeks as I hear them daily yet haven’t had a confirmed sighting yet.

Birds
49) Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus)
50) Red-Winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
51) Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)
52) Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)

Progress:
Mammals- 8
Birds- 52
Herptiles- 0
Total- 60
Heard-only Species- 1
Click to expand...
I saw a new bird today at the James A. McFaul Environmental Center in Wyckoff. I’ll be heading someplace new for the weekend tomorrow so I can hopefully see a few new birds!

Birds
53) Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)

Progress:
Mammals- 8
Birds- 53
Herptiles- 0
Total- 61
Heard-only Species- 1
 
KevinB said:
Two more seen since my last post.

Mammals
1) Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)
2) Red fox (Vulpes vulpes)

Birds
1) Canada goose (Branta canadensis)
2) Carrion crow (Corvus corone)
3) Common buzzard (Buteo buteo)
4) Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
5) Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
6) Grey heron (Ardea cinerea)
7) House sparrow (Passer domesticus)
8) Common wood pigeon (Columba palumbus)
9) Common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
10) European robin (Erithacus rubecula)
11) Great tit (Parus major)
12) Black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
13) European herring gull (Larus argentatus)
14) Eurasian magpie (Pica pica)
15) Great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
16) Western jackdaw (Coloeus monedula)
17) Eurasian kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
18) Feral pigeon (Columba livia)
19) Eurasian blackbird (Turdus merula)
20) Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
21) Rook (Corvus frugilegus)
22) Common starling/European starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
Click to expand...

Mammals
1) Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)
2) Red fox (Vulpes vulpes)

Birds
1) Canada goose (Branta canadensis)
2) Carrion crow (Corvus corone)
3) Common buzzard (Buteo buteo)
4) Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
5) Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
6) Grey heron (Ardea cinerea)
7) House sparrow (Passer domesticus)
8) Common wood pigeon (Columba palumbus)
9) Common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
10) European robin (Erithacus rubecula)
11) Great tit (Parus major)
12) Black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
13) European herring gull (Larus argentatus)
14) Eurasian magpie (Pica pica)
15) Great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
16) Western jackdaw (Coloeus monedula)
17) Eurasian kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
18) Feral pigeon (Columba livia)
19) Eurasian blackbird (Turdus merula)
20) Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
21) Rook (Corvus frugilegus)
22) Common starling/European starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
23) European white stork (Ciconia ciconia)
24) Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca)
25) Eurasian coot (Fulica atra)
 
First lifer of the year
Invertebrate
5 Western Conifer Seed Bug - Leptoglossus occidentalis - found on the inside of the lounge window and then evicted! Interestingly, there would normally have been a real Christmas Tree in this room, but not this year!
 
The trip to Columbus, Georgia for the Great Backyard Bird Count was well worth it - a total of 20 species at Oxbow Meadows, which is a lovely facility with indoor and outdoor exhibits for animals such as alligators, tortoises and turtles, frogs and toads and aquariums, displaying both local and exotic species (such as reticulated python, Dumeril's boa, Pueblan milksnake, ornate horned frog and Chinese water dragon). Highly recommend if ever in the area! As for the birding, part of the trails were flooded due to recent heavy rainfall, and as a result we were unable to approach the lake, therefore missing out on a shot to see the bird I originally planned the trip for, the Anhinga.
Still, there were plenty of birds to see even with the chilly, windy weather. Red-Winged Blackbirds were out in force and a kettle of Turkey Vultures circled above. The usual staples of cardinals, mockingbirds, House Finches, Yellow-Rumped Warblers and titmice were present, and at a power line easement overlooking a marsh we were able to spot Belted Kingfisher and Great Egret, but, most excitingly, a small family of sleeping North American Beavers! This is a lifer species for me and I never expected to see them during the day just resting on a small grassy island, but it was a trip-validating sighting. No lifer birds were seen but I added a small number to the yearly list. I also managed to spot the facility's resident honeybees drinking from a pond which was a great sight to see (their hive is managed so I did not add it to the list).
Afterwards, going off a recommendation from the tour leader, I went to Columbus' Lakebottom Park to try and find a lifer which has eluded me for a long while - the Red-Headed Woodpecker. The park had a little league baseball practice, a live music event, and trash strewn about it, which lowered my expectations of seeing any birds considerably. I walked the perimeter of the park listening for the telltale "churr" calls of this species and managed to find a singular Brown-Headed Cowbird while there. I was just about ready to head back to the car when I heard a quiet "churr" and followed it to find a Red-Headed Woodpecker in a tree fork! It began calling more loudly at the music venue trucks as they loaded up equipment and drove off. It had its back turned to me so I unfortunately couldn't appreciate its striking "Oreo" pattern and bright red head, but still a very satisfying way to end the day!

Mammals:
4. North American Beaver (Castor canadensis) – 2/17/24


Birds:
33. Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) - 2/07/24 (guessed date, can't remember what day of the week I saw it - was chasing a mockingbird on campus)
34. Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) – 2/14/24
35. European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) – 2/15/24
36. Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) – 2/17/24
37. Golden-Crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) – 2/17/24
38. American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) – 2/17/24
39. Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) – 2/17/24
40. Red-Winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) – 2/17/24
41. Red-Shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) – 2/17/24
42. Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) – 2/17/24
43. Brown-Headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) – 2/17/24
44. Red-Headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) – 2/17/24


Invertebrates:
5. Common House Fly (Musca domestica) – 2/14/24
6. Bathroom Moth Fly (Clogmia albipunctata) – 2/15/24
 
I had an amazing time today looking for rarities today around Helsinki an Eurasian nuthatch being an absolute highlight, as I've failed to see one about 8 times this year :D. Dipped on White-backed woodpeckers again though, which was kind of a bummer :(.

Birds

105. Hawfinch, Coccothraustes coccothraustes 18/2/24
106. Eurasian pygmy-owl, Glaucidium passerinum 18/2/24
107. Eurasian nuthatch, Sitta europaea 18/2/24

Goal: 107/200
 
KiwiBirb said:
I saw a new bird today at the James A. McFaul Environmental Center in Wyckoff. I’ll be heading someplace new for the weekend tomorrow so I can hopefully see a few new birds!

Birds
53) Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)

Progress:
Mammals- 8
Birds- 53
Herptiles- 0
Total- 61
Heard-only Species- 1
Click to expand...
I was able to visit my cousin at JMU in Harrisonburg, Virginia this weekend and decided to go to a nearby nature area in Lake Shenandoah and I was not expecting to see 30 species of birds in this random lake in western Virginia! :eek: I was honestly just expecting to see a Carolina Chickadee and Eastern Bluebird to add but I have 7 new species! Additionally, I was able to hear the calls of a Winter Wren at my hotel, but as a common theme with me and wrens, I was unable to spot it.

Birds
54) Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialia)
55) Carolina Chickadee (Poecila carolinensis)
56) Red-Shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)
57) Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)
58) Golden-Crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa)
59) Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)
60) Belted Kingfisher (Megacerylen alcyon)

Heard-Only
1) Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis)

Progress:
Mammals- 8
Birds- 60
Herptiles- 0
Total- 68
Heard-only Species- 1
 
Bactrian Deer said:
Went for a visit to Eagle Creek Park to try and spot some migrating geese, no luck, but I saw a Mute Swan!
Birds:
Elsewhere:
27. Cooper’s Hawk, Accipiter cooperii, 2-6-2024
28. Downy Woodpecker, Dryobates pubescens, 2-6-2024
29. Red-Winged Blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus, 2-6-2024
30. Pied Grebe, Podilymbus podiceps, 2-9-2024
31. Mourning Dove, Zenaida macroura, 2-10-24
32. Rock Pigeon, Columba livia, 2-10-24
33. Pileated Woodpecker, Dryocopus Pileatus, 2-10-2024
34. Turkey Vulture, Cathartes Aura, 2-10-2024
35. Yellow-Rumped Warbler, Setophaga coronata, 2-10-2024
36. White-Beasted Nuthatch, Sitta carolinensis, 2-10-2024
37. Eastern Bluebird, Sialia sialis, 2-10-2024
38. Northern Flicker, Colaptes auratus, 2-11-2024
39. Hairy Woodpecker, Dryobates villosus, 2-11-2024
40. Red-Bellied Woodpecker, Melanerpes carolinus, 2-11-2024

Eagle Creek:
41. Mute Swan, Cygnus olor, 2-11-2024
42. Green-Winged Teal, Anas crecca, 2-11-2024
43. Canvasback, Aythya valisineria, 2-11-2024
44. Lesser Scaup, Aythya affinis, 2-11-2024
45. White-Winged Scooter, Melanitta deglandi, 2-11-2024
46. Common Goldeneye, Bucephala clangula, 2-11-2024
47. Common Merganser, Mergus merganser, 2-11-2024
48. Red-Breasted Merganser, Mergus serrator, 2-11-2024
49. Common Loon, Gavia Immer, 2-11-2024
50. Horned Grebe, Podiceps Auritus, 2-11-2024
51. Ring-Billed Gull, Larus delawarensis, 2-11-2024
52. Herring Gull, Larus argentatus, 2-11-2024
53. Fox Sparrow, Passerella iliaca, 2-11-2024
54. American Tree Sparrow, Spizelloides arborea, 2-11-2024

Mammals:
3. Muskrat, Ondatra zibethicus, 2-7-2024

Total: 57/100
54 Birds
3 Mammals
Click to expand...
Silly me forgot a bird that I saw on the way to a friend’s
38- Merlin, Falco columbarius, 2-10-2024 (Which pushes American Tree Sparrow to be my 55th bird)
And new additions:
56- Great Blue Heron, Ardea Herodias, 2-12-2024
57- Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus, 2-16-2024
58- Belted Kingfisher, Megaceryle alcyon, 2-16-2024
59- Wood Duck, Aix sponsa, 2-18-2024
60- Great Horned Owl, Bubo Virginianus, 2-18-2024
61- Blue Jay, Cyanocitta cristata, 2-19-2024
62- Purple Finch, Haemophilus purpureus, 2-19-2024
63- Horned Lark, Eremophila alpestris, 2-19-2024
64- Sandhill Crane, Antigone canadensis, 2-19-2024
65- Eastern Towhee, Pipilo erythrophthalmus, 2-19-2024

Total: 68/100
Birds: 65
Mammals: 3
 
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